Southern Political Report | Tom Baxter

Is the senatorial campaign of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, viewed only a few months ago as unstoppable, showing signs of implosion? Most of Crist’s problems are intramural, but they don’t seem to be going away.

• *Not to mention Rubio will give the CPAC keynote address. One candidate’s stock seems to be climbing, the other falling.

Associated Press | Jim King

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Former Florida Senate President Jim King, who sometimes fought Gov. Jeb Bush and his own Republican Party over the Terri Schiavo right-to-die battle in 2005, died Sunday. He was 69.

King died after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer, said former press aide Sarah Bascom, who announced King’s death Sunday on behalf of the family.

King served as Senate president from 2002 to 2004, underwent surgery in June to remove tumors from his pancreas after being diagnosed with cancer a month earlier. His final term in the Senate was to expire in November 2010.

Tampa Bay Online | CATHERINE DOLINSKI

Democratic candidate Alex Sink takes the fundraising lead in the 2010 race for governor with nearly $1.3 million during the last quarter and $2.4 million overall.

Those numbers beat out Republican opponent Bill McCollum, both in terms of quarterly and overall contribution totals. McCollum, the state’s attorney general, raised $1.05 million during the April 1 through June 30 fundraising quarter.

Miami Herald | AMY SHERMAN AND BREANNE GILPATRICK

It’s a Republican-leaning district in a decidely Democratic county, and now, suddenly, it’s up for grabs.

House District 91, stretching from Dania Beach to Boca Raton, is viewed as a wide open, and important, 2010 race with incumbent Ellyn Bogdanoff running for state Senate. Democrats see a chance to further their gains in the county in the last election before redistricting. The GOP wants to keep the seat in a big way.

”Most battles are won before they are ever fought,” said House Republican Leader Adam Hasner of Delray Beach, among those watching the race. “Recruiting the right candidate is a critical part of success.”

For now, the parties face opposite challenges.

Roll Call | John McArdle

As they continue to mull endorsing former state Speaker Marco Rubio in Florida’s Republican Senate primary, the Club for Growth released a new poll Tuesday that showed Gov. Charlie Crist (R) as the clear frontrunner in this early stage of the race.

But Club for Growth executive director David Keating said Tuesday that the survey also showed that Rubio has room for growth while Crist’s support is “softer than what a lot of people are assuming.”

Miami Herald | No Author Listed

Gov. Charlie Crist has vetoed two bills that would have provided public record exemptions.

One of the measures (HB 7093) he vetoed Wednesday would have exempted “proprietary business information” obtained from a telecommunications or broadband company by the Department of Management Services.

The Politico | JOSH KRAUSHAAR

Florida state House Speaker Larry Cretul is seriously considering a challenge to Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson, a development that could shake up the race and provide the outspoken Orlando-area freshman with a top-tier GOP opponent in one of the nation’s most competitive House seats.

Politico | Charles Mahtesian

The Club for Growth, the bane of Republican moderates, has taken another shot at Florida GOP Gov. Charlie Crist, this time nominating him for its Comrade of the Month Award for May.

Kendrick Meek (D): 29 (26)
Charlie Crist (R): 59 (60)
Kendrick Meek (D): 30 (24)
Marco Rubio (R): 31 (26)
(MoE: ±2.8%)

Charlie Crist (R): 59 (54)
Marco Rubio (R): 22 (4)
Other: NA (33)
(MoE: ±4.5%)

Data from Strategic Vision

H/T Swing State Project

Tampa Bay Online | WILLIAM MARCH

TAMPA - The state Republican Party, which had hoped to clear the field to give Attorney General Bill McCollum an uncontested nomination for governor, now finds itself with at least two potential challengers, veteran legislator Dan Webster and state Sen. Paula Dockery.

With most of the fundraising clout of the state party behind him, McCollum would be a clear front-runner in a primary contest.

“Neither would be a major threat, but there’s potential,” said retired University of South Florida political scientist Darryl Paulson.

Dockery and Webster would appeal to parts of the GOP primary electorate, likely ending hopes for McCollum to get a free primary ride and campaign from the start against his likely Democratic opponent, Alex Sink.